


A Different Kind of Normal

by Ebony_McCloud



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: F/M, Family, Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-04
Updated: 2018-10-11
Packaged: 2019-07-06 21:49:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15894795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ebony_McCloud/pseuds/Ebony_McCloud
Summary: Sometimes, all that was needed was a change of pace. (post CoaFA)





	1. Chapter 1

Link woke up suddenly, as he did every morning. He looked around, frowning as he felt a familiar tugging at his forearms. He should know what was causing the sensation, but his thinking was still muddled from sleep. He looked down beside him, finding that his fins had somehow wrapped themselves around a tiny form in the middle of the night, or rather, the tiny form had wrapped them around herself.

"Alolu?" Mipha mumbled tiredly from the other side of the bundle.

He nodded. He wasn't sure at what point their daughter had wandered in and slipped in between them. She was always so quiet, likely worried that she would wake them up if she wasn't careful.

He had asked her once why she liked to bundle up in such a fashion. Apparently, she suffered from nightmares and wrapping herself up helped to lull her back to sleep. The golden scales acted like a shield from the thoughts that terrorized her at night.

A peaceful silence fell over the small family as they enjoyed the first late morning they'd had in a while. King Dorephan had insisted that they take a day and enjoy themselves, despite his and Mipha's protests. The Zora King had convinced them rather easily when he had reminded them that they had a duty to their daughter as well.

"Do you suppose she will be surprised?" Mipha asked suddenly, sounding more alert than she had a few minutes ago.

Link nodded again. He knew it was foolish to think that speaking would end the moment, but he continued to maintain his silence on the off chance the naïve hope was true. While he spent the majority of each day at Mipha's side, they had very little time alone together, and that was before they had a daughter that also required their attention. He loathed the idea of ending it before it had to.

Link felt Alolu shift around in her makeshift nest, as though whispering about her was enough to bring her back to awareness. He and Mipha watched with fascination as a tiny, ruby-red hand appeared, followed shortly by the head of a small child. She opened her mouth wide, exposing her small, sharp teeth as she yawned. Her head tilted forward as she almost fell back asleep, causing her tail fin to flop around as she flinched back up.

"Good morning, sweetheart," Mipha giggled as she leaned over and embraced her daughter, stroking her tailfin affectionately as she did so.

"Morning, mommy," Alolu replied with another yawn. The little girl rubbed her bright blue eyes as Mipha stood up and went to ready herself for the day ahead.

Link stayed where he was as she continued the long process of waking up. As ready as he was to get up, she was still tangled up in his fins. Any sudden movements could jerk her around, and that was dangerous for a young Zora. The weight of their tail fins combined with their longer, thinner necks made any sudden movements potentially damaging when they weren't wearing their chokers.

Link smiled as Alolu finally crawled out of her makeshift nest and leaned over to him, wrapping her tiny arms around his neck. "Morning, daddy," she cooed.

"Morning," he replied as he rubbed her back slowly. They stayed that way for a time before they both got up.

"I need to inform father that we'll be up at the Veiled Falls," Mipha stated as she set her headpiece on.

Link nodded as he made a small fire in the corner of their room. He then removed his beloved cooking pot, the same one that he had carried during his journeys through Hyrule, from its cupboard and set it over the fire. "Want to help?" he asked his daughter quietly.

"Yes," she nodded as she joined him.

Link took her little hand in his own and took her through the motions of cooking various dishes. Considering how vulnerable she was to heat, he would occasionally send her to take breaks, having her read her favorite stories to him as he continued preparing the food for their picnic. During one such interval, he prepared rice balls as she wasn't looking. Alolu knew who favored the delicacy and letting her see it was the quickest way to ruin the surprise in store.

"Let's go," he said as he finished packing their meal.

"Okay!" she responded as she closed the book she had been holding and leaped to her feet. Link grinned as he watched her race around to finish getting ready. It had been a while since he had seen her so excited.

Most of her days were spent under Muzu's tutelage. Though Mipha had abdicated the throne, all but eliminating any chance of Alolu taking it, the family was still expected to contribute to Zora society, especially since the entire country was undergoing the painful process of reconstruction. As a result, the young girl had to spend her days undergoing an extensive curriculum which involved learning the finer points of Zoran society, history, diplomacy and any other skills the elder found necessary.

He and Mipha had made polite comments about how hard Muzu was pushing her; however, the elder didn't quite catch their meaning, or he did and made no effort to ease up on the girl.

Perhaps her days may not have been so dull if she were coming home to parents who weren't exhausted every night. Even though he and Mipha did their best to hide it, Alolu was more perceptive than most. He knew she could see the exhaustion in their eyes.

Even though Sidon had taken on the majority of the strains brought on by Dorephan's waning health, there was still a considerable amount of work for the two. Between constant trips to Hyrule Castle and back, hosting various ambassadors, and trying to help maintain stability as leadership was handed down the Prince, there was little time for family and rest, but they made do as best they could.

His smile deepened as she bounded over to him. A weight was taken off his shoulders as he saw her acting like a child for the first time in a long time.

"Are you and mommy finally going to teach me to swim up a waterfall?"

"We'll see," he responded as she took his hand and they left their quarters behind. He wasn't sure they would have any time to devote to teaching her. Not that it was a problem, seeing as he wasn't even sure she had developed the strength to perform such a feat yet.

They met Mipha near the northern entrance and began their excursion in earnest. Despite their eagerness to leave the city behind for the day, the family still walked with the grace that Muzu demanded of them. They would respond to greetings with a nod that he considered to be far too dignified; however, if it came to making the lives of his wife and daughter any easier, he would acquiesce to some of Muzu's demands.

As soon as they left the city behind, Link let Alolu climb up on to his shoulders and then took Mipha's hand as they made the long trip up to the top of the Veiled Falls on foot. They could have made it a much shorter journey by swimming up the falls themselves, but they had decided against it the night before. Walking on foot would give them more time as a family, as well as providing them more time to entertain their daughter which Link did by bouncing his shoulders, causing Alolu to shriek with laughter.

After a few hours of walking, they made it to the top of the Falls. They took a moment to enjoy the view before finding a small pond nearby in which to cool down. Link and Mipha continued sitting long after Alolu had become bored. They smiled as she explored their surroundings, coming back often to inform them of her latest discoveries only to leave a few seconds later.

"I wish more days could be like this," Mipha sighed quietly as she sank further into the pond's depths.

Link nodded in agreement. He had known that marrying into the royal family would be stressful, he just hadn't imagined that he would be exhausted all of the time. As the cool waters continued rolling over him, he felt his tension seep away, allowing him to relax.

It wasn't that he was miserable, but rather, that he didn't have as much time for the things that he considered truly important, such as his wife and child. While there was something to be said about the importance of negotiating trade routes and the logistics of infrastructure, he found most of it to be arbitrary. It wasn't so much about problem solving as much as it was about not stepping on anyone's toes. The way he saw it, if there was a problem, then it should be solved, not danced around with fancy words while the ones in power tried to find some way to benefit.

It left him feeling like he spent his days on useless endeavors while the most important of his jobs was left to a few hours at night when he was thoroughly drained.

As the sun continued its ascent, Link's eyes combed the skies above them, searching for a familiar sight, which he finally found heading towards them. "Alolu!" he called, "come help me unpack."

Together he and his daughter set down a blanket and placed the platters of food around the blanket.

"Daddy…" he turned, concealing a smile as she picked up the rice balls, "… why did you –"

She stopped as a familiar gust of wind blew past them. Link and Mipha exchanged an eye roll as they recognized the source immediately. It seemed that even years later, a certain someone hadn't lost his taste for grand entrances.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite niece."

"Uncle Revali!" Alolu cried excitedly as she raced towards the dark blue Rito.

"Mom! Mom, look out!" another voice called in mild panic as Medli landed not far away.

"We're fine!" Medli exclaimed as she let her son down. "I only overshot a little."

"I want dad to fly me next time!" Komali squawked as he shuddered violently.

"Now it wasn't that bad."

"You nearly killed us!"

"Don't speak to your mother that way!" Revali called sharply. He gave his son a pointed stare until the boy grumbled an apology to his mother.

"It's good to see you again," Mipha said in greeting as she gave Medli a hug, disappearing for a moment as the Rito's wings completely enveloped her.

"You too! It's been so long! Ah, how are you Master Link?" she asked as she turned to him.

"Good," he replied simply, figuring that he would leave Mipha to converse with the talkative mother.

He turned to find Revali approaching him.

"Link," the Rito said in greeting as they shook hands firmly.

"Revali."

"Still suck at breathing?" the Rito asked snidely, still shaking Link's hand.

"Going to name a child Falco?" The two Champions glared at each other as they entered a silent contest. After having won the last few of their bouts, Link decided to be a gracious loser and pulled away first.

The Rito smirked, enjoying his victory before turning to Mipha. "I still don't understand how you can put up with him every day."

"It is a struggle some days," the Zora sighed as she eyed the children. "At least I have it easier than Medli, though."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Revali asked indignantly.

"I think she means that she thinks you're harder to be married to," Medli answered thoughtfully. "I think I can see why she would say that."

"You're supposed to be on my side!"

"I am on your side."

"This is almost as bad as when you lost our sparring match," Link muttered mischievously.

"It ended in a draw!" Revali snapped as he rounded on Link.

"What about the second time?"

"There were no witnesses the second time."

"I think we should we eat now," Mipha interjected quickly, gesturing to the food that lay at their feet.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Medli sighed, "I was getting rather hungry."

After calling the two children over, the group began eating the large meal before them. Alolu and Komali each took turns informing each other of every one of their recent accomplishments and exploits. Unsurprisingly, Revali's son had taken up archery, and much like his father, was not a natural; however, Link had no doubt the child would become a master in time. He had inherited his father's spunk after all.

Revali and Medli took a great interest in the contents of Alolu's life, much to the young girl's pleasure. She was used to Muzu insisting on her silence when Link and Mipha were in the presence of other adults, including her uncle Sidon and grandfather. She relished the chance to be the center of attention for once.

After the meal was finished, the two children wandered off again, intent on exploring as much as they could before they had to leave. The adults had their own form of entertainment, though it was really more about a long-standing rivalry between Link and Revali.

"You're not going to win this time," Revali muttered as he dealt everyone their own set of tiles, as though Link won every single game they played.

"…" Link gazed at the Rito over his hand of tiles as he began formulating a plan.

"Is it my turn to start?" Medli asked as she frowned at her hand.

"Yes," Revali replied absently.

"Now Link," Mipha whispered as she set a tile down, "please don't do -… exactly that," she sighed as he set down a wild card.

"Call," Revali said smugly, only to have his face fall flat as Link showed him his hand.

"Draw six."

That was only the start of the Rito's misfortune that night. Though both he and Link had experienced morale-boosting triumphs and devastating losses, none was quite so absolute as Revali's loss that night.

"This isn't over," he growled as he glowered at Link.

Link just shrugged, not too concerned about the Rito's wrath.

"Komali!" Medli called as she and Mipha finished their fit of silent giggling, "it's time to go!"

"But mooom," the boy whined as he and Alolu came rushing back, "can't we stay a little longer?"

"Not this time."

"But –"

"No arguing," Revali interrupted firmly. "This time you can fly with me though."

"Okay," Komali sighed, the traces of a pout still scrunching up his face.

"It is time for us to be returning as well," Mipha said as she picked up Alolu, whose head immediately began to droop.

"Bye, bye Komali" she mumbled tiredly. "Bye uncle Revali… bye, aunt Medli…"

After a few more quick goodbyes, both families went their separate ways.

"I hope we can do that again soon. It has been far too long since I've seen her so happy," the Zora said quietly as she gazed down at the sleeping face of her daughter. "Perhaps we should talk to Muzu about allowing her more free time. I worry that she doesn't have many friends in the Domain."

Link agreed emphatically as they made their way down the cliffside and back into the Domain. "I think Bazz and I should trade off shifts guarding you," he added. It had been something he had been considering for a while, but he thought it was a sensible plan. It would allow Alolu more time with at least one of her parents, and maybe even allow for a few more outings, even if it was just the two of them.

"Hmm," she hummed, "I wonder if Muzu would allow me to take over for him a few days a week. It would allow me to teach her what I want her to know.

"... We should teach her to swim up waterfalls," he said suddenly. When she had asked earlier, he hadn't devoted much thought to it, but now it was eating away at him slowly.

"Yes, but not tonight," Mipha responded tiredly. "We need rest. We can make plans tomorrow."

Link nodded even as he started planning. Mipha may have wanted to wait until the morning, but he had grown tired of waiting for opportunities to spend time with his daughter over the years.

They passed no one as they made their way back to their private quarters, only stopping briefly to tuck Alolu in.

He lay awake long into the night, even after Mipha had fallen asleep. His life was a far cry from what he had imagined it would be, but he supposed that wasn't the worst thing. He kept busy and loved his family dearly. It was enough to make up for the parts that he wasn't entirely happy with.

He remained still as he heard a tiny pair of feet moving across the stone floor and felt the bed shift as it gained a new occupant. He smiled as he felt a familiar tugging at his fins. Sometimes, life was hectic and could be unsatisfying, but days like the one he'd just had more than made up for it. In the end, he had Mipha and Alolu, and that was enough.


	2. Chapter 2

Mipha smiled fondly, her legs hanging in the water as she watched Alolu splashing around the base of the Veiled Falls. She and Link had brought their daughter up to one of their favorite spots to begin teaching her how to swim up waterfalls. Mipha was of the opinion that the young girl wasn't strong enough to make it up one yet, but that didn't mean they couldn't start teaching her the basics.

The lesson had started simply enough. They swam her up the falls a few times so that she could get a feel for it. As excited as Alolu had been to learn, she had quickly become distracted by the abundance of frogs, fish, insects, and other wildlife that surrounded them, not to mention the dancing lights as the sun's rays bounced off the water and the Zoras' glittering scales.

Mipha couldn't claim to be upset by the turn of events. Her only real goal when agreeing to spend their day off at the Falls was to spend time with her family. Whether or not Alolu was actually learning to swim up the falls was a secondary concern at best. In fact, her only concern in that regard was that Link would be disappointed, not that he would show it if he was. While he was far more open than he had been prior to their marriage, he still struggled when it came to sharing - especially the more negative emotions.

To her surprise, the former Hylian Champion was grinning as he watched their daughter try to catch a frog. He met her gaze for a moment before his smile turned mischievous and he held a finger over his lips. He slipped beneath the water silently, sneaking up on their daughter even as she was trying to sneak up on a frog.

Had Alou been paying attention, she would have sensed her father drawing closer. One of the blessings a Zora had were specialized organs that could detect motions while they were submerged, meaning that she should have known that someone or something was coming up behind her. As it was, she was unprepared when her father's hand shot out of the water and grabbed her from behind.

She shrieked, her terrified yell turning into laughter as she looked over her shoulder and finally understood what had happened.

"Daddy!" she cried, causing Mipha to giggle as she heard the mix of indignation and delight in her daughter's voice.

Link laughed with Alolu as he set her back in the water.

Mipha gazed on lovingly, thinking back on her daughter's name.

Alolu had not been her first choice when she and Link had been deciding on names. Ruto had been her preference, but Link had been adamantly against it. At first, she hadn't been able to understand why he was against naming her after one of her ancestors and the Sage of Water. It wasn't until he reminded her that the Divine Beast's name was derived from Ruto that she began to understand. In his eyes, naming their child after the Sage would be akin to naming her after the Divine Beast. Along with the association would come a slew of memories, some good and some horrible. In a sense, naming her Ruto would be a reminder to Link that both of them had very nearly seen the other die, and that was something he didn't want their child associated with.

Once she understood, Mipha had withdrawn her support for the name. She knew better than most just how powerful reminders of a traumatic event could be. Not only that but as she had reflected on their time together, she came to recognize how little he truly asked of her. It would have troubled her greatly to deny him one of the few things that he did request.

Of course, choosing a name hadn't become any easier after they had decided against Ruto. Link had been surprisingly picky when it came to naming their little one. It was so bad at one point that Mipha had begun to whether or not they would have something to call their child when he or she finally hatched.

Mipha wasn't sure what pulled her from her idle thoughts, only that something brought her back to reality sharply. She looked around quickly, finally focusing on Alolu to make sure she was safe. Alolu gazed back at her with one hand covering her face. Her little chest was shaking uncontrollably as her bright blue eyes stared at back at Mipha.

By the time the former Zora Champion realized what was happening, golden arms had already lashed out of the water and grabbed her by the hips. Before she could react, she was lifted into the air and brought crashing into the water. She flipped around, giving Link a playful shove before she rose above the surface, where she could hear Alolu giggling madly.

"Daddy got you!"

"Yes, he did," Mipha chuckled. She turned back to find that Link was still mostly submerged, with only his eyes and the top of his head above the water. "I see someone is feeling particularly ornery today."

It warmed her heart to see her husband's playful side coming back out. He had spent so much time being the silent warrior that everyone expected him to be that she sometimes worried that he had forgotten how to let loose. She realized she had been wrong to worry as he slipped back below the surface.

While their responsibilities hadn't really lessened, they had become much more bearable after they had started taking a few days a week to spend with Alolu. Muzu had been reluctant to support them at first, but her father and brother had insisted that it was for the best. After a long conversation, they were able to work out a system that would work for them. It helped that Muzu had finally begun to mellow out. He was rarely upset with Alolu and had even allowed her more free time on the days that she studied with him.

She hadn't realized how much she had needed to see her daughter acting like a child. It was a weight that had been mercifully lifted from her shoulders.

"Alolu, dear?"

"Yes?"

"When I give the signal, do your best to keep away from your father."

"What?"

"You'll see," Mipha replied as she slipped back below, smiling sweetly as she came eye to eye with Link. Before he could react, she lunged forward and tapped him, following it up by darting out of reach. "Run!" she shouted as she resurfaced and continued dashing away from her husband.

To Mipha's amusement, Alolu watched her retreat with wide eyes, allowing Link to sneak up on her once again. He sprang, tapping their daughter lightly on the shoulder. "You're it!" he cried before diving back in the water.

"Hey, no fair!" she cried as she dove after him. Mipha laughed quietly as she watched the two writhing around in the water. One of the things that she loved about Link was that he gave their child a fighting chance when it came to such games. He was more concerned about having fun than he was with winning, and to him, having fun meant that everyone else needed to have as much as he was.

As she expected, Link "accidentally" allowed Alolu to corner him and tap him on the chest before she darted away.

Mipha eyed him as he rose out of the water and turned his attention to her. She got ready to flee as he started towards her, looking forward to their favorite familial game as the afternoon wore on.

Later on, after he had finished the most pressing of his tasks, Sidon made the trip up to the Veiled Falls to visit his sister and her family. There, he found Link and Mipha dozing side by side as they floated in the water with Alolu curled up on Link's chest.


End file.
